Our morning starts with a drive through open landscapes to Queen Elizabeth National Park and then a boat trip.
We visited salt rivers (where rock salt is extracted in such a fashion, ladies are encouraged to ‘double layer up’ at certain times of the month, as their job requires wading waist deep in vast salt pools – on reflection, you might consider twice putting salt on your chips in future!). We saw flamingoes on mass enjoying the salty lakes and during the boat trip, one of the highlights watching elephants splashing around playing in a river as we sat in our boat in awe, with hippos grunting in disapproval and wart hogs simply ignoring their childlike behaviour!
Arriving at the Kabara Lodge, with a four poster bed on wheels to allow for its roll out to the open air balcony and enjoy the stars overhead come nightfall, a blissful place surrounded by lush, green scenery for miles …..
Morning safari was Lion tracking – with the Ranger joining us and Gordon in our jeep, armed with the biggest satellite dish seen in Africa so far, the lions were quickly tracked as their collars told of their locations – not as exciting as trekking with the Masai in Kenya, seeking out paw prints and listening for the rustle of grasses, but how can you not be overwhelmed when you see those little ears and then the eyes …..
Following days, here at the Ishasha Wilderness Camp, wifi intermittent and only available between restricted hours!! With candles only and a call to one of the camp assistants to fill a jerrycans with hot water to then cascade over head for a morning shower, rustic it is within the beautiful, green Ugandan landscape; we are adjusting to this ‘born free’ lifestyle and I trust the wild, air blow dried hair, equally wild, befitting!
Food has been lovely (mostly!) and staff incredibly attentive (I feel they have guests only periodically…) – the bugs click and bite, spiders are enormous and cause quite a reaction on locating them (us, not them!), but you soon learn to tuck socks into trousers, undress for bed very quickly and ensure those mosquito nets are firmly tucked in around your bedding as the heady scent of mozzie repellant drifts you off to sleep! Toilets may flush, but mostly don’t, you will wear green most days so get used to it and no, you don’t dress for dinner, no one, not even the animals, cares….
Tomorrow we drive 4 hours to the first area of gorillas ….. so, for now, all having a great time here in the wild!!
